" As a result of this relative ease in adopting a child from the Philippines, specifications are also relatively easier to comply compared to other countries. Requirements include a budget of up to $25,000 for process completion, both married couples and single individuals can adopt a child, at least a parent must travel in-country for up to 10 days, and adoption is completed in 28-30 months (from completion of requirements to finally adopting the child) (Adoptive Families, 2009). Adoption requirements and processing in China is stricter than in the Philippines, although both are members of the Hague Adoption Convention. Main difference between the two is that China, most often than not, puts up female children for adoption than male children. This is because of the country's one-child policy and cultural preference for a male, instead of a female, child. This limitation in the child's gender is not encountered in the Philippines. In addition, only married couples are allowed to adopt, with further restriction that there must be "no more than 2 previous marriages allowed for either spouse." Parents are also matched with children, wherein older-aged couples (50-54 years old) may be matched with special-needs children. The whole adoption process is usually completed for a period of 39-42 months (Adoptive Families, 2009). It is worthy to note that despite its stricter requirements, China's increased promotion and encouragement for international adoption is no different from the Philippines. Like the Philippines, China promotes foreign adoption because of the monetary gains that adoption processes contribute to the country's public (government) wealth. It was reported that international adoptions bring in "U.S. $3,000 per capita in madatory orphanage donations and an additional U.S. $1,000-2,000 in other fees and expenses paid by adoptive parents in China" (Johnson, 2002:388). Foreign adoptions have become so rampant and "profitable" that domestic adoption is weakly promoted, if at all, by the Chinese government (ibid.).

Ethiopia is perhaps one of the countriest with...

Couples and single females aged no older than 40 years old are allowed to adopt, although there is preference for couples who are married for at least 5 years. Adopting parent/s need to stay in-country for only a week, and the whole adoption process takes only 6-12 months to complete. Budget for the whole adoption process is up to $25,000, at par with the budget for adoption in the Philippines (Adoptive Families, 2009). Ethiopia's adoption process is considered one of the easiest because of the relatively quicker timeline for the adoption process to complete, which is a very critical factor for adopting parent/s. Unlike the Philippines and China, adoption has become a necessary social system in Ethiopia, being a country constantly ravaged by diseases, famine, and civil conflicts. Because of the increasing prevalence of international adoption in Ethiopia, private, non-profit agencies have also increased, ensuring that adoption processing is done correctly and completely. A current concern, however, is the emergence of "illegal," private adoption agencies that falsely claim that they are accredited by the government to facilitate and complete international adoptions. Poor government response contributes to the persistence of this problem in the otherwise smooth implementation of international adoption in the country (Gross & Connors, 2007).